Thirteenth Annual Meeting of the Membership
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Ware Campus Center
“Gonna Fly Now”
A photo retrospective by Maureen Rosen
Welcome
Morris Edwards, president
Adventures in Learning
Remarks
Beth Cahill, vice president for Advancement
Colby-Sawyer College
Business Matters
Morris Edwards
President’s Report
Morris Edwards
Acknowledgements and Tributes
Morris Edwards and Joanna Henderson, Curriculum Committee chair
Celebratory Concert
Granite State Stompers
Wine and Hors D’oeuvres Reception for Members and Guests
The Granite State Stompers
Adventures in Learning is delighted to host the Granite State Stompers, a traditionallystyled jazz band, which was established in the Lake Sunapee area in 2003. Five years
later they produced a CD, “Take a Tailgate Joyride,” in the New Orleans jazz tradition.
This tradition was made famous by Jelly Roll Morton and Louis Armstrong and includes
a vast repertoire of blues, marches, stomps, popular and folk songs, as well as Latin
music and waltzes. As you listen to the Stompers joyous music, don’t be shy about
tapping your toe. You won’t be alone!
A schedule of their upcoming performances is available in the lobby as is their CD. To
learn more about the band, log on to www.granitestatestompers.com.
Musicians:
Andy Bourke (Tuba, String Bass)
Andy is a University of Maine graduate with a B.S. in wildlife biology. He served as an
active duty military musician for 26 years and retired in 2009 after 5 years as bassist with
the U.S. Army's Jazz Guardians. He has played all styles of music from brass quintet to
orchestral, rock and funk to straight ahead jazz and swing.
John Chivers (Banjo)
John, a graduate of Wesleyan College and a retired teacher of German at Phillips
Andover, first played jazz at age 17. Since then he has played in the Connors and
Reinterpretation Jazz Bands and is the leader of The Granite Gumbo.
Dave Cook (Band Leader, Clarinet and Sax)
Dave is a retired CFA investment counselor for whom jazz clicked in high school. Bands
he has played for include the Dartmouth Indian Chiefs, Reinterpretation Jazz Band, West
Newbury VFA Marching Band and The Granite Gumbo.
Alden Keyser (Drums and Kazoo)
Alden served as a CFO before retiring. He started drumming in the fifth grade and has
since been a University of North Carolina Tarheel. He played with The Windjammers,
Scituation Swing and at the Dalton Club in Newburyport, Mass.
Whit Wendel (Valve Trombone)
Whit has had fifty-plus years of tooting the jazz horn and performed with the Great Little
Jazz Band, Blue Ribbon Jazz Band and Blue Horizon Jazz Band. He is a Harvard
graduate, former publishing VP and custom home builder.
Bill Zimmerman (Cornet)
Bill received an Ed.D. from the University of Florida at Coral Gables. He served as
superintendent of schools in Hanover, N.H., and then in Wayland, Mass. He played in his
first dance band at the age of 13. Bill also plays the trombone, piano, clarinet and sax. His
band affiliations include the Alan Kendall Orchestra and the New Orleans Jazz Band.
Proposed By-law Changes
Article 3: The Board
Existing text:
Board members shall be eligible for consecutive re-election no more than once. Vacancies,
which shall occur between Annual Meetings, shall be filled by the remaining Board members for
the unexpired term. An unexpired term of less than one year shall not be considered a full term
in connection with possible re-election.
Proposed new text:
Board members must be current Adventures in Learning members and shall be eligible for
consecutive re-election no more than once. Vacancies, which shall occur between Annual
Meetings, shall be filled by the remaining Board members for the unexpired term. An unexpired
term of less than one year shall not be considered a full term in connection with possible reelection.
Article 5: Committees
Article 5, Section 1: Standing Committees
Existing text:
There shall be Standing Committees for Curriculum, Public Relations, Long Range Planning
and Finance, and such others as the Board may decide to establish from time to time. There also
shall be such Ad Hoc Committees as the President may appoint. The Chairmen of all Standing
Committees shall be selected annually by the President from the membership at large, and if not
persons already members of the Board, such Chairmen shall be ex-officio members of the Board
during such Chairmanships. Standing Committee Chairmen shall be eligible for reappointment
for two additional one-year terms. Ad Hoc Committees may be chaired by persons from the
membership at large. The membership of Standing Committees shall consist of not fewer than
three members.
Proposed new text:
There shall be Standing Committees for Curriculum, Public Relations, Long Range Planning
and Finance, and such others as the Board may decide to establish from time to time. There also
shall be such Ad Hoc Committees as the President may appoint. The Chairmen of all Standing
Committees shall be selected annually by the President from the membership at large, and if not
persons already members of the Board, such Chairmen shall be ex-officio members of the Board
during such Chairmanships. Standing Committee Chairmen shall be eligible for reappointment
for two additional one-year terms. Ad Hoc Committees may be chaired by persons from the
membership at large. The membership of Standing Committees shall consist of not fewer than
three individuals who are current Adventures in Learning members.
Existing text:
The duties and responsibilities of the Standing Committees include:
 Curriculum Committee:
Responsible for receiving or initiating suggestions for new study group programs, reviewing
programs in progress, assisting study group leaders in improving offerings, determining the
suitability of subjects, recruiting qualified study group leaders, overseeing and editing study
group leader copy for term catalog, and periodically revising Study Group Leader Guide.
Also provides necessary information to facilities coordinator who is responsible for securing
and scheduling suitable classroom space and insuring availability of teaching aids.
 Long Range Planning Committee:
Responsible for identifying and studying issues affecting the long term plans and programs
of Adventures in Learning. Responsibilities include assessment of future needs for space,
facilities and financial resources. Longer term, the committee’s work will encompass the
need for ‘on campus’ classroom and office space.
 Finance Committee:
Responsible for assisting in the preparation of the Adventures in Learning budget; for the
preparation of term-by-term and annual financial reports; for making recommendations to
the Board concerning allocation of the net income or loss and the size of the reserve; for
reporting to the Board on any other financial matter requested by the president. The
committee shall have four members who shall be the Treasurer as Chairman, the President,
the Vice President and the Colby-Sawyer College liaison.
Proposed new text:
The duties and responsibilities of the Standing Committees include:
 Curriculum Committee:
Responsible for receiving or initiating suggestions for new study group programs, reviewing
programs in progress, assisting study group leaders in improving offerings, determining the
suitability of subjects, recruiting qualified study group leaders, overseeing and editing study
group leader copy for term catalog, and periodically revising Study Group Leader Guide.
Also responsible for securing and scheduling suitable classroom space and ensuring
availability of teaching aids.
 Long Range Planning Committee:
Responsible for identifying and studying issues affecting the long term plans and programs
of Adventures in Learning, as determined by the Board. Responsibilities also include
assessment of future needs for facilities.
 Finance Committee:
Responsible for assisting the Treasurer as needed in the preparation of the Adventures in
Learning budget; for the preparation of term-by-term and annual financial reports; for
making recommendations to the Board concerning allocation of the net income or loss and
the size of the reserve; for reporting to the Board on any other financial matter requested by
the President. The committee shall have four members who shall be the Treasurer as
Chairman, the President, the Vice President and the Adventures in Learning program
manager, who is the Colby-Sawyer College liaison.
Adventures in Learning
Nominating Committee Report
Officers
For re-election as Board officers:
Morris Edwards, president
Joanna Henderson, vice president
Tom Stark, treasurer
Joyce Kellogg, secretary
Board of Directors
For election to an initial three-year term:
Pat Stewart
Aarne Vesilind
For re-election to a three-year term:
Dick Cavallaro
Van Crawford
Chuck Kennedy
Dan Schneider
Committee Chairs
For re-appointment to serve as chair:
Betsy Boege, Public Relations Committee
Joanna Henderson, Curriculum Committee
Julie Machen, Long Range Planning Committee
Joanna Henderson, Nominating Committee chair
Adventures in Learning
2011-2012 Study Group Leaders
Our volunteer study group leaders are the capstone of the Adventures in Learning
program. We are pleased to acknowledge the individuals below for their dedication
and contributions during the past academic year. They graciously shared their
knowledge and passion for a topic of their choice to enrich the lives of course
participants from our community.
Tom Aprille
Bob Mack
Dan Allen
Dennis McCullough
Jim Bowditch
Michael Moss
Jim Broadhead
Les Norman
Charlotte Brook-Signor
Susan Nye
Hilary Cleveland
Tony Parra
Van Crawford
Dick Pearson
Louise Cyr
Sarah Drew Reeves
Morris Edwards
Martha Regan-Smith
Tom Galligan
Ellen Robertson
Dale Gephart
Art Rosen
Tom Graves
Dan Schneider
Randy Hanson
Dick Schwemm
Joanna Henderson
David Stewart-Smith
Derek Hunt
Bob Strauss
Millard Hunter
Ken Tentarelli
André Hurtgen
Bill Tighe
Charlie Kellogg
Tom Vannatta
Chuck Kennedy
Aarne Vesilind
Gene Lariviere
Brenda Watts
Julie Machen
Adventures in Learning
2011-2012 Lecturers
The lecture series continue to be a popular element of the Adventures in Learning
program. The individuals below were guest lecturers in the past academic year. We
are delighted to recognize and thank them for taking time out of busy schedules to
share their expertise with our course participants.
David Almond
Jane King
Stephen Bethel
Julie Machen
Charlotte Brook-Signor
Mike Moss
Dick Carney
Phil O’Brien
David Cook
David Pook
Van Crawford
Vinnie Procita
Max Culpepper
Isa Rex
Jere Daniell
Chuck Sanborn
Morris Edwards
Bill Sullivan
John Ferries
Aarne Vesilind
Tom Galligan
Tom Wilkins
Joanna Henderson
Adventures in Learning
2012 Annual Reports
President's Report
I'm pleased to report that Adventures in Learning has enjoyed another banner year.
Membership now stands at an all-time high and we set a new record of 1,064 course
registrations, the fourth yearly increase in a row.
Consistent with our dual goal of embracing and enriching the community, we offered 40
courses over the past year with a wide diversity of topics, and scheduled them at various
venues from New London to Newbury to Grantham. In addition our summer program
again allowed part-year residents and other non-members to enjoy the educational riches
of AIL for a small fee.
This fall our community outreach continues with a course at the Richards Free Library in
Newport. In another exciting initiative, we will soon begin a program of free talks by our
study leaders for residents at Woodcrest Village. We hope it leads to similar talks and
additional cooperative relationships with other retirement homes and organizations within
our community. At the same time, our new rack cards are being displayed broadly
throughout our extended region to encourage others to become AIL members and share
in the benefits of "learning later and living greater."
Our partnership with Colby-Sawyer College is another source of great pride.
Relationships with the college were enhanced through AIL courses led by Tom Galligan,
the college president, and Randy Hanson, chair of the Multidisciplinary Studies
Department. In addition the college continues to donate administrative support for AIL,
along with office space and equipment, and to provide use of Clements Hall and other
facilities for courses and additional activities. On our part I'm pleased to report that
proceeds from our Thursday's Child dinner and other AIL events contributed over $1,000
to AIL's student achievement award, which provides a scholarship each year to a
deserving Colby-Sawyer junior.
We owe a deep debt of gratitude to our outstanding study leaders for the success we have
enjoyed, and to the volunteers in our Curriculum, Public Relations, Finance and Long
Range Planning Committees. Thank you to one and all. A special thanks goes to the AIL
office staff, who do such an exceptional job year after year, and justifiably receive high
praise from both members and study leaders for the wonderful help and support they
provide.
Ultimately, though, our success depends on you, our members, and the special value you
place on learning as a lifelong avocation. Thanks to your vigor, passion and zest, I am
confident that education for the community by the community will endure and continue
to flourish.
Morris Edwards, president
Curriculum Committee Report
While I hesitate to start this report with the same sentence I used last year, we have had
another wonderful year! And again our numbers, which are only one part of our story,
have increased in every category. Our membership totals 499 (up from 472 of a year ago)
and a total of 1064 participants, an increase the previous year of 1047 participants.
The ideas for future courses, the comments and suggestions offered to the Curriculum
Committee primarily through the course evaluations are, as always, extremely helpful.
We read and consider all comments made on the evaluation forms, and they are the best
source for making improvements to curriculum. Keep them coming.
We want to thank Morris Edwards and Sheldon Boege as they leave the Curriculum
Committee this month. Morris, who is also president of the AIL Board of Directors, has
been invaluable as a contributor to the committee. Sheldon has had the thankless but
indispensable job of placing all courses in the appropriate venues and taking care of the
technical equipment needed for each course. Both will be missed by the committee and
by me personally. New members coming on to the committee are Mike Moss, Betsy
Boege and Mary Doyle.
As always, our deepest thanks go to our study leaders. They come up with wonderful
ideas for courses, do the hard work of researching information, figure out how to present
material in interesting and attention-holding ways and then present the courses. Once
again, bravo and congratulations!
Our study leaders this year included:
Dan Allen, Tom Aprille, Jim Bowditch, Jim Broadhead, Charlotte Brook-Signor, Hilary
Cleveland, Van Crawford (2), Louise Cyr, Morris Edwards, Tom Galligan, Dale Gephart,
Tom Graves, Randy Hanson, Joanna Henderson, Derek Hunt, Millard Hunter, André
Hurtgen, Charlie Kellogg, Chuck Kennedy (3), Gene Lariviere (2), Julie Machen, Bob
Mack, Dennis McCullough, Mike Moss, Les Norman, Susan Nye, Tony Parra, Dick
Pearson, Sarah Reeves, Martha Regan-Smith, Ellen Robertson (2), Art Rosen, Dan
Schneider, Dick Schwemm, David Stewart-Smith, Robert Strauss, Ken Tentarelli, Bill
Tighe, Tom Vannatta, Aarne Vesilind, Brenda Watts (3).
We look forward to another fine year of course offerings from our committee of Sheldon
Boege, Jim Bowditch, Van Crawford, Morris Edwards, André Hurtgen, Jim Moore, Les
Norman, Dan Schneider, Tom Vannatta and Aarne Vesilind.
Joanna Henderson, chair
Public Relations Committee Report
The Public Relations Committee had a very productive year continuing to promote the
overall Adventures in Learning program to its members and the greater community. In
addition we are pleased to report that two projects begun in 2011 have been successfully
completed: the digital newsletter, Horizons Extra, and a publicity rack card promoting
AIL in the community.
Last summer we began the transition to present the Horizons newsletter in digital format
for electronic delivery. With the expert assistance of the college Communications Office
and our AIL staff, we continued to tweak the format over the past year to make it more
readable for our members. The end result is that Horizons Extra now appears on screen
exactly like the former print version, is easy to navigate, and provides handy links to
other articles and news of interest. Producing our newsletter electronically fulfills AIL’s
objective of supporting Colby-Sawyer’s GreenROUTES sustainability initiative as well
as allows for significant cost savings. These savings have been passed on to our
membership in the form of reduced membership fees for 2012-2013. For those without
email addresses, print copies are made available at the office. Finally, the newsletters are
posted permanently on the AIL website for future reference.
The committee also took steps to increase public awareness of AIL in the greater
Kearsarge-Lake Sunapee region. Again with the help of the college, we designed an
attractive, two-sided 4” by 9”rack card for placement in area real estate agencies,
libraries, community centers, bookstores and assisted living facilities. The card describes
our overall program and how to contact us for more information. Although our
membership numbers are robust, it is important to attract new members and study leaders
for the future.
In closing, my thanks to the committee members for their efforts this past year and
especially to Pat Stewart who has completed six years of dedicated service on our
committee organizing and co-coordinating AIL trips. Pat did her usual expert job this past
winter arranging Mike Moss’ recent class trip to the Museum of Fine Arts.
We always are looking for new committee members as well as literary contributors and
encourage you to contact us if you would like to join in promoting the AIL program.
Betsy Boege, chair
Committee Members: Heidi Beckwith, Sheldon Boege, Maggie Ford, Joyce Kellogg, De
Segerson, Pat Stewart - Trips and Maureen Rosen - Photographer
Treasurer’s Report
The financial year for Adventures in Learning is tied to that of Colby-Sawyer which runs
from July 1 through June 30. Thus, with the annual meeting taking place in mid-May, a
traditional, year-end financial report cannot be made. Instead, the chart below represents
the budgeted expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2012.
Again, this past year has been financially successful and the board is able to recommend
a meaningful contribution to Colby-Sawyer.
Last year I told you: “It is important to note that due to the excellent staff and their
attention to adhering to the budget, the interesting courses that brought record enrollment,
and careful attention to details by the board, we were able to maintain our fee structure
and produce a reasonable surplus for the current fiscal year.” With continuing careful
financial control, we are able to reduce the membership fee to $40.00!
Tom Stark, Treasurer
Adventures in Learning
at Colby-Sawyer College
Upcoming Summer 2012 Courses
Look for your catalog to arrive at the beginning of June
 Ellis Island – Gateway to the American Dream / Joanna Henderson
 A Brush with Beauty / André Hurtgen
 Who Are the Celts? / Bill Tighe
 The Crock of Gold / Dave Cook
 Backstage at the New London Barn Playhouse: A Musical
Comedy in Four Acts / Carol Dunne and Tom DeMille